


These Haunted Halls

by 3KidsInATrenchCoat



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Canon Asexual Character, Ghosts, M/M, No beta we die like archival assistants, canon-typical abundance of eyes, haunted college, i don't wanna spoil anything here so ill add tags as i go, technically a college AU i guess?, the magnus institute is a school now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:42:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27594305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3KidsInATrenchCoat/pseuds/3KidsInATrenchCoat
Summary: In terms of aesthetics, The Magnus Institute certainly played the part of haunted university.And Jon loved it. Martin did not.Haunted college AU involving Scooby-Doo type shenanigans, ghosts, and a healthy dose of (hopefully) fluffy get-togethers
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	These Haunted Halls

**Author's Note:**

> hey everyone! general warning for Martin's mom being mean, but that's it for this chapter

In terms of aesthetics, The Magnus Institute certainly played the part of haunted university.

Its massive brick walls were covered in trailing ivy, its sidewalks edged in moss. The crumbling ruins of an older building stood off to one side, unused. Large oak trees framed the property, standing silent and solemn against the stark blue sky. The front gate, made of iron and topped with little spikes, really sealed the deal, making the Institue look ominous and threatening in all its promo pictures.

And Jon loved it.

Not that he would actually admit it out loud, but he absolutely adored the spires and the spooks that surrounded the campus. It beckoned to his childhood self, that wild call of adventure and mystery, of otherworldliness.

He didn't buy into the belief that the school was haunted, but he liked the atmosphere the stories created. Ghosts weren't real, and anyone who believed in them was delusional. But if it kept people out of the libraries late at night, well...

It had actually been Georgie who introduced him to the Institute. She'd gotten it in her head that she was gonna do a WTG episode on the hauntings there, and had somehow convinced Jon to compile the research for her. Ever since then, it had floated in the back of his mind, looming just out of reach as his goal for the future.

He knew it had been a long shot. Magnus had an acceptance rate of about 10%, but their criteria were nearly indecipherable. Straight-A, 4.0 students were often rejected, while more than a few one-pointers sailed through on full scholarships. People joked that the admissions people just rolled a die, and chose from there.

So Jon felt more than justified in his elation when he'd gotten that cream-colored envelope in the mail.

 _Dear Mr. Sims_ , it read. _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into The Magnus Institute's class of-_

He hadn't read further than that in favor of doing a victory lap around his bedroom.

The Magnus Institute had not been Martin's top choice school. He was a self proclaimed 'generally nervous guy,' and the ghost stories surrounding the place always gave him the creeps. In middle school, his bus had driven right past the Institute's gates, and he'd always made sure to look the other way. Their swirly patterns made him dizzy, and he wasn't a big fan of the eye emblems embedded in the ironwork. It made him feel itchy, like that weird tingle you get when someone's looking over your shoulder.

So, yeah, Magnus? Not where Martin saw himself in five years.

Which was why he was so confused when the envelope showed up in the mail.

It was heavy, made of a thick, creamy paper that bore a strange weight of officiality to it. Mr. Martin K. Blackwood was inked across the front in stark green text. In lieu of a return address sat an embossed eye, also in green.

With more than a little apprehension, Martin opened the envelope, careful not to rip the paper. The letter inside was simple. _Dear Mr. Blackwood. We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into The Magnus Institute's class of 2025 on a full-ride scholarship._

There was more, but Martin's brain was too caught up on the full-ride scholarship part to read it properly. He hadn't even applied! Why was Magnus, of all places, offering him a full-ride?

"Probably got the wrong Blackwood," his mother had said. "They don't hand out money like that to kids with Cs."

But somehow, even before he called the school to confirm, Martin had known that it was no mistake. So he'd steeled himself, resigned to four years at Spooky School, (because there was no way he'd be allowed to go anywhere else, not after a full-ride had been offered), and prayed the stories were just that.


End file.
